


Alone in the Aftermath

by ade_wolf_97



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cal Kestis needs to be protected, Gen, How Do I Tag, Literal Dad Prauf, Little Cal, Pretty much no spoilers, Protective Father Figure, Sad at First, also he needs a hug, good thing Prauf is there to take care of him, pre-game, slightly more happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22124359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ade_wolf_97/pseuds/ade_wolf_97
Summary: Prauf is on his way home from work, just like any other day, when he notices a lost-looking twelve year-old on the streets.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 184





	Alone in the Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> So I bought Fallen Order with Christmas money and Cal is my new child and I love him. Also I found out (through an interview with Cameron Monaghan on YouTube) that Cal was only 12 when Order 66 happened which prompted this idea in my head.

Prauf wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary when he left the damaged ship that night.

It had been a long day, examining wings, engines, controls, anything that could cause any faults in the ship’s functions, and taking notes of each... certainly one of the more draining days of his engineering career. He’d been the only person left, the sky pitch black when he finally stepped from the extended ramp and locked the door behind him.

The roads were mostly empty as he began the lengthy trek to his small apartment, walking in silence and eyes trailing on the occasional person on the road. The war was taking its toll on them... ship owners were beginning to pay less and less to get their damages repaired or their problems solved, and Prauf was growing increasingly tight with his budget. Less money to spend with coworkers at the cantina, or to get dinner when his shift was up. It seemed most others were having similar issues, as the bar was mostly empty. He noticed as much he walked by.  _ Maybe I can talk to the boss. He listens to higher-ups. _

Prauf shook the thought of a warmer jacket from his head as he shivered slightly from the cold.  _ Budget doesn’t allow for measly expenses.  _ It always seemed like the days on Bracca were over twice the temperature of the nights, and as the planet’s rotation shifted for its annual period farther from its sun, it was only getting colder.

When his gaze rose, all thoughts of the temperature suddenly fled from his mind. He came to an abrupt halt in his walk.  _ Well, that’s not normal. _

Sitting on the edge of the road was a boy, no older than the Galactic Standard equivalent of eleven or twelve, with his arms wrapped around his knees and his tunic pulled tightly around his thin form. Prauf didn’t know what to do.

There weren’t kids on Bracca. It just didn’t happen. And now there was some young boy, alone in the cold, with no person close by who could be a parent or caregiver. Of course, Prauf’s subconscious had already seemed to decide that the situation wasn’t acceptable, and he was walking towards the boy before he knew it. “Hey, kid,” he called out, with a sort of gentleness he didn’t know his voice could achieve, “you got any parents nearby?”

The boy glanced up at him and examined him before slowly, silently, shaking his head. Prauf hummed in surprise. “Grandparents? An aunt or an uncle?” A shake of the head both times. “Anyone?”

The boy stared at him for a moment before he suddenly sniffed and buried his forehead in his arms. “Oh—oh, no, don’t do that...” He had no prior experience with kids at all, much less crying ones.

Prauf swiftly took a seat next to him and carefully wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The boy still didn’t say anything, the only sound the occasional sniffle or sharp intake of breath. Prauf couldn’t believe it.

Not only was there a kid on Bracca, but he was alone. It wasn’t like someone had come for parts and just happened to drag their kid along, or like a family had just moved in; he was  _alone_.

_ And no one else stopped to help him as they walked home from work.  _ Prauf managed to contain his anger at his coworkers and instead turned towards the boy. “Look, why don’t you come back with me? I’ve got an extra room, and food, warm clothes...”

The boy kept his head pressed against his arms, but the expected shake of his head didn’t come; instead, he mumbled a quiet, “okay.”

Prauf looked at him sorrowfully, gaze searching his form as he slowly pulled him to his feet. He was tiny, in comparison, the top of his head only reaching the bottom of Prauf’s chest.

Prauf said nothing as he began to guide the boy down the street. He still couldn’t understand the situation. Was he left alone? Were his caregivers killed?

Did he escape from some sort of...?

Prauf quickly shook the thoughts from his head. “I’m Prauf. What’s your name?”

The boy didn’t look at him. “Cal.”

Prauf nodded. “Well, Cal, you’re welcome to stay with me as long as you need. I’m an engineer, I can spare some coin for a bit of extra food.” He left out the part about budget cuts; the kid didn’t need to know that. “And I would much rather you be with me than on the streets by yourself.”

Cal finally looked up, his gaze slowly meeting Prauf’s. Prauf could sense something in his eyes, but he wasn’t quite sure what it was... just that it wasn’t good. That it was some sort of pain. “Thank you.”

Prauf was lost in Cal’s gaze for a moment more, but quickly snapped out of his daze and smiled.  _His voice matches his eyes. Whatever that means..._ “‘Course. Here, I’m just ahead.” He stepped past Cal and fumbled through his pockets to find the key. “Kitchen’s to the left, rooms straight ahead, and living room to the right. You just make yourself comfortable.”

He drew out the card and scanned it on the pad next to the door. The following swish announced that the door was open, and Prauf motioned towards it. Cal spared only a small glance in his direction before cautiously stepping past him and into the small apartment. Prauf followed close behind and watched silently as he looked around.

He smiled a little when Cal listened to his previous statement and made little hesitance to approach the couch and take a seat on the edge of it.  _Hopefully this means I don’t have to worry about him leaving and being out alone again._ “Oh, you must be cold. Here,” Prauf stepped around the couch and grabbed a half-folded blanket from the shelf next to the holo stand, holding it out for Cal to take. “Use this.”

Cal seemed to be shaken out of whatever thoughts he was lost in and looked up at him again, expression unchanging from what it had been for the past ten minutes. He reached out his hand and grabbed the blanket from Prauf’s grasp, again mumbling a small “thank you” as he did so.

Prauf nodded. “Here, lemme go change out of my work clothes, I’ll be right back.”

He stepped around the couch and walked swiftly towards his room without waiting for a response.

He was still trying to wrap his head around the whole situation.

In all the years that he’d lived on the small planet, he’d never seen someone any younger than nineteen or twenty. Bracca just... wasn’t a place for kids. Which was fairly evident by the way that everyone walking home before him took no time to stop and ask if the kid was alright.

Shipyards and repair shops attracted a lot of crowds, but most weren’t family friendly. Demanding, crude, and altogether bad people. It was no wonder no families lived there.

But to consider the idea that it wasn’t a family, but just a young boy, alone... he just didn’t understand. And he wasn’t sure he would, even if someone laid the whole thing out in front of him for him to read like one of his damage reports.

He sighed as he pulled on a set of more casual clothes, gaze trailing through the small opening in his door and landing on the fiery red hair on his couch.  _I’ll need to shop for clothes for him tomorrow... I can afford a cut in my own needs for a little while._

Prauf shook his head, again in disbelief, as he finally walked from his room and approached Cal. He started talking before he even reached the living room, mentally listing off his stock and what he could offer in terms of food. “Alright, I’ll get you something to eat. What do you prefer: fruit, bread, mea—oh...” Prauf broke off when his gaze finally landed on Cal.

He was sound asleep on the couch, head leaning against the arm rest and blanket pulled up to his chin. No wonder, Prauf told himself. He was out in the cold shivering for who knows how long. It really came at no surprise that he was tired.

He looked on sadly at Cal’s form, unable to keep his mind from wandering back towards whatever the scenario surrounding him could possibly be. But it didn’t take long for his thoughts to shift, to something different...

Because the kid wasn’t alone anymore. Prauf could look after him, he was safe. He could get food and water, warm clothes, and a place to stay. Prauf could provide for him like whoever before him couldn’t.

And ultimately, he decided, that was okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Prauf for being a good person and stopping to help this lonely kid on the side of the street.  
> I’m gonna pull Cal out of the game and give him a hug and EA can have him back when they decide to be nice to him.  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
